Bill Haslam claims $8.7 million in donations

Knoxville Mayor Bill Haslam, usually the first of the candidates for governor to release his fundraising totals for obvious reasons, said today that he has brought in $8.7 million for his campaign, including $1.7 million in the quarter that ended yesterday.

Haslam’s campaign said the total includes $3 million from Knox County residents and 12,000 separate contributions. The most active advertiser in the race, Haslam did not release how much cash he has on hand.